Nick Kyrgios has opened up about his past feelings towards Rafael Nadal, admitting that he used to “hate and despise” the legendary Spaniard whenever they crossed paths in the locker room at tournaments. This admission comes as Nadal, a 22-time Grand Slam champion and former world No. 1, recently called time on his illustrious career following his final match in Spain’s Davis Cup quarter-final loss to the Netherlands last month.
Kyrgios, who faced Nadal on nine occasions, holds a 3-6 record against him. Despite being one of the few players to claim victories over Nadal, including notable wins at Wimbledon 2014, the 2017 Cincinnati Open, and the 2019 Acapulco Open, their relationship has been far from smooth. Off the court, the two frequently clashed, with Nadal once stating after a match in Acapulco that Kyrgios was “a good guy, but what he lacks is a little respect for the public, for his rival, and also for himself.”
Reflecting on his emotions during their rivalry, Kyrgios recently revealed on the Nothing Major podcast that his feelings towards Nadal were especially intense, to the point of feeling “anger” when facing him. “I couldn’t stand him,” Kyrgios confessed. “I used to hate and despise him so much when I saw him walking around. He was one guy who always motivated me.”
Kyrgios explained that this animosity was unique to Nadal and wasn’t present when playing against fellow ‘Big Three’ icons Roger Federer or Novak Djokovic. “If I played him, I would get up for it and try and get the best tennis I could possibly play,” Kyrgios said. “I didn’t feel that anger towards Federer or Novak when I played them.”
The Australian also described the pressure he felt from Nadal’s image as a relentless worker, which only fueled his desire to prove a point. “Everyone in our academies back home idolized him… they would say, ‘he’s such a hard worker, he’s this and that.’ I was like, ‘I can’t stand this guy.’ I wanted to show people you could just have fun and be chilled and still beat someone like that.”
Despite their tense relationship, Kyrgios later paid a heartfelt tribute to Nadal after the Spaniard confirmed his retirement. On social media, Kyrgios shared an emotional message: “Damn. I’ve had nightmares that have woke me up about Rafa. I’m gonna miss them. This was someone that I used to prepare for… he was a motivation – I guess an inspiration. F**k – it’s true—people do bring the best out of you. You were one of those people. Damn…”
While Nadal now embarks on life after tennis, Kyrgios is preparing for his own comeback. After a challenging 2023 and 2024, in which he only played one ATP-level event due to various injuries, Kyrgios will make his highly anticipated return to the court. His first tournament back will be the Brisbane International, where he will join top players like Novak Djokovic in the draw. This will be followed by his return to the Australian Open, marking his first appearance in Melbourne since 2022.